Bifurcated garment.



M. O. GREENBWALD.

BIPURCATBD GARMENT. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 7, 1913.

Patented May 19, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. G. GREENEWALD.

BIFURGATED GARMENT. APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 7 1913.

Patented May 19, 1914 LQVAQEL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MARY C. GREENEWALD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BIFUR-CATED GARMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914;.

Application filed August 7, 1913. Serial No. 783,646.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARY C. GREENEWALD,

acitizen of the United States, and resident of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bifurcated Garments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bifurcated garments, and more particularly to undergarments commonly known as union suits.

One of the objects of the invention is to construct an improved union suit of the drop seat type which is simple of manipulation and which has the much desired advantage of a permanently closed crotch, making it comfortable to the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the construction of the undergarment by forming the parts so that less time and material are required to make a garment.

A further object is to so form the drop seat portion of the garment that there will be the desired fullness to allow perfect freedom of movement without binding the wearer or straining the material and fastening devices.

The above and other objects and the novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front and a rear elevation of the garment, part of Fig. 2 being broken away to show a detail. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the garment showing the fullness which is provided in the seat. Fig. 4: is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing a part of the construction of the front of the garment. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the two similar rear ,leg and seat sections. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the two rear leg and seat sections sewed together and fulled into a band to provide the desired fullness in the seat and so that the same will fit at the waist line. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the front leg and body sections. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the other of the front leg and body sections. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the two front leg and body sections laid together at their edges in a position to be sewed. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the back section.

Any suitable material may be used in mak ing the garment, the garment herein described being made of cloth which is practicallv inelastic.

comprises five pieces, namely, the front over- Referring to the drawing, the garment lapping leg and body section 15, the front underlapping leg and body section 16, two rear leg and seat sections 17, and a back section 18. The front leg and body sections 15 and 16. and the back section 18 are each cut at their upper ends so that when the edges 1., 21 and 20, 22 are properly sewed together, suitable armholes 23-23 and. a neck opening 21 will be formed, as is well known, vertical seams 25 being formed at the sides where the back joins the front. The sections 15 and 16 have substantially V shaped notches 26 and 27 cut in their longitudinal edges opposite the edges 19 and 20. The notches are at similar positions and located at the region where the leg portion meets the body portion and the apex is a few inches above the crotch 28. The upper edges 261 and 271 of the notches are substantially horizontal or at right angles to the edges 28 and 29 of the sections 15 and 16. The notches are cut so that the edge 261 will be twice as long as the edge 271. Both edges 28 and 29 are turned back and sewed to form hems 30 and 31 of a width equal to the length of the edge 271 or half the length of the edge 261. By thus hemming the edges, I eliminate the necessity of providing facings or reinforcements in separate strips. The hems 30 and 31 suitably reinforce the vertical edges 32 and 33 of the open front thus provided. and afford sufficient body for the fastening devices, such as the buttons and button holes shown. The buttons and button holes may be pro vided at any time after the edges 28 and 29 are hemmed.

When sewing the sections 15 and 16 together. the latter are laid one on the other, as indicated in Fig. 9, the apexes of the notches being placed in register with the notches extending in opposite directions so that the hem 30 and edge 32 overlap the hem 31 and edge 33. The raw edge 261 is then turned under and a row of stitches 34 secures the sections 15 and 16 together at the bottom of the front opening. The edges 262 and. 272 are inclined downwardly from the apexes of the notches, and when the sections-15 and 16 have been sewed together at the line 34, the edges 262 and 272 are sewed together, thereby forming the front seam 35 of the crotch seam, the said front seam being usually some three or four inches long. As shown, the sections 15 and 16 are similar in construction, but, if desired, both front sections may be made exactly like the section 15 and hemmed the same way. The sections may then be sewed together in the same manner, as shown in Fig. 9. The lower raw ends are folded back along an oblique line 36 and stitched so as to sew the sections together, a transverse row of stitches 37 across both hems being provided to add strength. The hemmed edges are then drawn and held together by the buttons and button holes, as shown. This construction provides more overlap of the top section, and consequently there will be much less tendency for the open front to gap at the lower end.

The drop seat and rear leg portlons are made of two blanks 17, shown in Fig. 5. Each blank 17 is cut so that the upper diagonal edges 38 and 39 meet in an acute angle 40 and so that the edge 38 is on the bias of the cloth which will make the bias seam ab formed by sewing the two edges 38 together somewhat elastic. After the edges 38 have been sewed together, the dotted lines of Fig. 6 indicate the first position of the side edges 4l41 and upper edges 3939. The latter two edges meet at an angle 42. The blanks 17 are cut in the manner described so that the edges 3939 will meet at the angle 42 and thus provide an excess length in the center or rear crotch seam 43. This excess length is made available as the fullness 44 by fulling into a band the upper edges 3939 of the sewed together sections 1717. The fulling may be done by any suitable means, such as gathering, folding, plaiting, etc, forming the folds 45, as shown. Obviously, the edge 39 is shorter than .the combined length of edges 3939, however, fulling the edge 3939 draws the angular free end straightand the edges 4141 inwardly to correspond to the edges 411411 in full lines, so that the garment may fit closer at the waist line. a

Before fulling the edges 3939 they may be hemmed to form a band for the button holes 46, of which there are three. Three buttons 47 on a band 471 sewed to the back 18 above the lower edge thereof, afford means for attachin the drop flap to the body and keeping the posterior opening of the garment closed. The band may be omitted if desired and the buttons sewed on to the back without the reinforcing band. The center button and button hole maybe omit ted, if desired, and means provided for drawing the free edge of the flap tight about the waist so it will not gap, the bottom edge 181 of the back section extending a s bstantial distance below the edge 391.

To finish the garment, the flap and rear leg sections formed by the sections 17 are joined to the front leg and body sections 15 and 16 by sewing the edges 49-49 to the edges 50-50, respectively, and the etiges 4141 to the edges 19, 20, respectively, and at the extreme lower ends of the latter. The seams joining the edges 41-41 and 19, 20 extend upwardly to the points 5151, respectively, thus leaving a free drop flap. When the sections are sewed together, the seams 43 and 35 form a continuous crotch seam, and no extra pieces or sections are required to form the crotch. The excess length a-a', rendered available by the fulling of the edges 3939 into the horizontal edge 391, exists in the form of a bulge 4 along the seam 43 and on both sides thereof near its lower end, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. Slack is thus provided so that when the wearer stoops or bends in any manner there will be plenty of material or length to prevent undue strains or tearing of the garment. The free edge of the drop seat is preferably cut so as to taper upwardly as.

shown but may be constructed in other suitable ways so that the direct distance between the button on the back located substantially directly above the crotch will be less than the distance between the center button hole on the seat and the crotch, measuring along the seam 43 of the seat, thus roviding slack or an excess length of 0 0th between the fastening means and the crotch when the seat is fastened to the back.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a garment which is inexpensive to manufacture, requiring but.

five simple pieces, and it possesses the advantage over the present suits of this type in that there is no undue strain or binding, which is eliminated by the fullness provided in the seat.

It will be apparent that the improvements are susceptible of numerous changes and of use in other garments of the type described and, therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details as set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A bifurcated drop seat garment of substantially inelastic material, comprising two overlapping substantially similar notched sections forming the front of the body and legs, two substantially similar sections form ing the rear of the legs and the drop seat, and a section forming the back, the sections comprising the front of the body and legs being sewed to the section forming the back and to the sections forming the rear of the legs and the drop seat.

2. A bifurcated drop seat closed crotch undergarment comprising two substantially similar sections constituting the front of the body and the fronts of the legs and secured together by a seam which extends a plurality of inches above the closedcrotch, cooperating fastening means at the open front formed by adjacent contiguous edges of said -form'ed with a notch therein the longitudinal edges of the material a ove the notch being hemmed, the said hemmed portions overlapping one another and having cooperating fastening means thereon, the'lower edges of the notches being sewed together and constituting the front seam of the crotch.

4. A bifurcated garment having an open front formed by two substantially similar sections having extensions forming the fronts of the legs, each of said sections being formed with a notchtherein, the longhtudinal edges of the material above the notch being folded back and stitched to form hems, the said hems overlapping one another and having coiiperating fastening means thereon, I

5. Abifurcated closed crotch garment havlng an open front formed by two substantlally similar body sections made continuous withthe front leg sections, said similar sections being formed with notchesin cor-' responding vertical edges, the lower edges of said'notches being a plurality of inches in length and sewed together to constitute the front seam of the closed crotch, the longitudinal edges of the material above the notches being hemmed, the hemmedv portions overlapping one another and being sewedv together at their lower ends, and co6perating fastening means on said hemmed portions. 7

6.. A garment of the class described having a drop seat or flap section made continuous with a rear leg section, said drop seat section terminating in a point at its upper end, said point being formed by two diagonal edges of the drop seat section meeting at an acute angle.

7. A garment of the class described comprising drop seat sections made continuous with the rear leg sections, the integral drop seat and rear leg sections being so shaped that when they are secured together by a vertical seam the upper free end of the drop seat will terminate in an angular edge, said edge being adapted to be fulled into a straight edge and thereby imparting fullness to the seat of the garment.

v 8. A drop seat garment comprising a pair of similar rear sections sewed together and forming a drop seat integral with the rear leg sections, each of said rear sections terseat end, said pointed portions being complementary and being sewed together to form the drop seat and fulled to a substantially straight edge along the free edge of the drop seat whereby a fullness is imparted to the seat of the garment.

9. A garment of the class described having a drop seat made continuous with the rear leg sections of the garment, said leg sections being united above the seat fork and the upper free edge of the drop seat so formed being fulled so as to impart a fullness to the drop seat portion.

10. A garnnnt comprising a back provided with fastening means, and a drop seat provided with fastening means along its free edge cotiperating with the fastening means on the back, said seat being made with an upwardly tapering part at its free edge whereby a fullness may be provided f0 5 in the seat of the garment when the sea flap is fastened in place,

i 11. A garment of the class described having a drop seat made continuous with the rear leg sections of the garment, said leg sections being united by a seam above the fork, the said seam meeting at an acute angle the edges forming the free edge of the flap or drop seat, said free edge being'subsequently fulled, thereby bulging the cloth along the seam and providing fullness in the seat portion.

12. An open front drop.seat bifurcated garment comprising two substantially similar sections notched along corresponding vertical edges and secured together to form the front and front of the legs of the gar ment, the seam formed by securing corresponding edges of said notches together extending a plurality of inches above the fork to the open front, a back section, and two similar drop seat and leg sections secured to said front and front leg sections, said drop seat sections being made continuous with the rear leg sections and so shaped that when they are secured together by a vertical seam the upper free end of the flap or drop seat will be angular in plan, said end being adapted to be fulled to a straight edge and thereby imparting fullness to the seat of the garment due to the excess length of said vertical seam.

13. In an open front closed crotch garment of the class described, two substantially similar sections overlapping at the open front and coiiperating to form the front of the body, and fronts of the legs, each of said sections being formed with a substantially ii-shaped notch therein, corresponding edges of said notches being sewed together to form the front part of the crotch seam, the other corresponding edges of said notches being of unequal lengths, said sections being folded back along their edges and stitched above the notches to form hems along the overlapping edges of the open front, and said sections being sewed together with the apexes of the notches in register and the notches oppositely directed, and coiiperating fastening means on said hems.

14. A garmenthaving a drop seat made of two similar pieces having diagonal edges united together by a bias seam extending upwardly from the crotch, and a back to which the free end of said seat may be attached, the length of said seam from the crotch to the fastening means on the seat being greater than the distance from the crotch to the cooperating fastening means on the back.

15. A bifurcated garment having in combination aback provided witha fastening device located substantially directly above the crotch of the garment, and a drop seat having fastening means cooperating with said device, the direct distance between said device and the crotch of the garment being less than the distance along the seat between said fastening means and crotch, whereby an excess length is provided in the seat between the fastening means and de vice, and the crotch when the seat is fastened to the back.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARY C. GREENEWALD.

Witnesses I ARTHUR L. BRYANT, E. L. GRnnNnwALD. 

